XSM annoyances

Not directly related to fvwm hehe, but just in case anyone else knows a solution to this problem.

I can’t see the xsm controls window at all. If I start it manually, the session selection window pops up, I press the “Default/Fail safe” button, and the terminal spits this:

$ xsm
Warning: Cannot convert string "12x24" to type FontStruct

Nice, the session window hides, and the control window does not appear, so, I can’t save checkpoints or anything, and I never get additional sessions in the list, I can only press the default button. The others are blurred.

Additionally, on that list only the string “chooseSessionListWidget” appears, if I click it, xsm segfaults and I get back to console. So, only the “Cancel” and “Default/Fail safe” buttons work ok.

A known problem with xsm. In fact, it’s not even a session manager you should think about using, frankly.

Go with gnome-session, it’s the best of a bad bunch.

(I reviewed a number of session managers for FVWM some years ago for LG, now that I think about it.)

– Thomas Adam

Yes, I know. I was just wondering why it behaves in such a bad way, and if there is a cure for that illness. The “bunch” of session managers is really composed by gnome-session and ksmserver. The rest of things (xsm, xlsession -or something like that, and rox-session) are not proper sm’s. Xfce4-session kind of could be defined like one, I think, but it locks the screen, and puts itself over fvwm. I can see how fvwm loads, and the sm then puts over it. I know fvwm is working behind cause I can use the bindings to navigate the menus (which appear over the blue-ish screen that the sm puts in front of fvwm).

Ksmserver completely ignore the dcop calls unless kdeinit is running, which is, basically, the same that running kde with KDEWM=“fvwm”.

My problem with gnome-session is about convictions. I just can’t understand this (random image taken from google):

krath.dk/img/chicony/gnome-sessi … erties.png

Needs this:


These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/orbit-2.14.7  USE="-debug -doc" 0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/libgnomecanvas-2.14.0  USE="X -debug -doc" 0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gnome-keyring-0.6.0  USE="-debug" 466 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] dev-perl/XML-NamespaceSupport-1.09  8 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] app-text/build-docbook-catalog-1.2  4 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] perl-core/Test-Simple-0.67  75 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] app-text/sgml-common-0.6.3-r5  75 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] dev-util/desktop-file-utils-0.12  341 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gnome-common-2.12.0  USE="-debug" 0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] media-libs/gstreamer-0.10.12  1,799 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gnome-mime-data-2.4.3  USE="-debug" 551 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] dev-perl/XML-LibXML-Common-0.13  13 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-libs/libcm-0.1.1  269 kB [7] 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-libs/libxklavier-3.1  USE="-doc" 462 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] app-admin/eselect-esd-20060719  2 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-apps/xmodmap-1.0.2  USE="-debug" 0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] sys-libs/db-4.5.20_p2  USE="-bootstrap -doc -java -nocxx -tcl -test" 0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] net-libs/libsoup-2.2.100  USE="ssl -debug -doc" 497 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] dev-libs/liboil-0.3.10-r1  USE="-doc" 841 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] app-text/iso-codes-0.58  4,322 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-libs/libwnck-2.17.92  USE="-debug -doc" 0 kB [7] 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gconf-2.14.0  USE="-debug -doc" 0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/libbonobo-2.16.0  USE="-debug -doc" 1,374 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] media-libs/gst-plugins-base-0.10.12  USE="X alsa xv -debug -esd -oss" 1,427 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] app-text/docbook-xsl-stylesheets-1.72.0  0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] dev-perl/XML-SAX-0.15-r1  58 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] media-sound/esound-0.2.37-r1  USE="alsa tcpd -debug -ipv6" 375 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] virtual/perl-Test-Simple-0.67  0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gail-1.9.3  USE="-debug -doc" 609 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-libs/libsexy-0.1.10  USE="-debug -doc" 379 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gnome-vfs-2.16.3-r1  USE="hal ssl -avahi -debug -doc -gnutls -ipv6 -samba" 1,856 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] dev-perl/XML-LibXML-1.62.001-r1  226 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-wm/metacity-2.16.3  USE="xcomposite -debug -xinerama" 1,791 kB [7] 
[ebuild  N    ] app-text/docbook-xml-dtd-4.4-r1  0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] app-text/docbook-xml-dtd-4.1.2-r6  74 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-misc/notification-daemon-0.3.7  USE="-debug" 403 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] media-plugins/gst-plugins-alsa-0.10.12  0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] media-plugins/gst-plugins-xvideo-0.10.12  0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] media-plugins/gst-plugins-x-0.10.12  0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/libgnome-2.16.0  USE="-debug -doc -esd" 988 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] app-text/gnome-doc-utils-0.8.0  USE="-debug" 0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] app-text/scrollkeeper-0.3.14-r2  USE="nls" 664 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gnome-menus-2.16.1  USE="-debug" 407 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] dev-perl/XML-Simple-2.16  68 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-libs/libnotify-0.4.4  USE="-doc" 387 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/libbonoboui-2.16.0  USE="X -debug -doc" 916 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-misc/icon-naming-utils-0.8.2  0 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/libgnomeui-2.16.1  USE="jpeg -debug -doc" 1,448 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gnome-desktop-2.16.3  USE="-debug -doc" 1,174 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-extra/evolution-data-server-1.8.3-r1  USE="ssl -debug -doc -ipv6 -kerberos -keyring -krb4 -ldap -nntp" 6,860 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gnome-mount-0.4-r5  USE="-debug" 357 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/eel-2.16.3  USE="X -debug" 658 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/nautilus-2.16.3  USE="X gnome -beagle -debug" 4,169 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/control-center-2.16.3  USE="alsa eds hal -debug" 1,979 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] x11-themes/gnome-icon-theme-2.16.1  USE="-debug" 2,433 kB 
[ebuild  N    ] gnome-base/gnome-session-2.17.92  USE="tcpd -branding -debug -esd -ipv6" 0 kB [7] 

I downloaded the source for gnome-session-1.5, but it is also tied to gnome-desktop, with all that that involves (gnome-vfs, mount stuff, nautilus…). Too much stuff to draw a little window and do session management, it doesn’t matter how sophisticated it is.

Not that I am one of those persons that are affraid of having toolkits installed, I don’t care about that, and will surely use gnome-session, since really there is nothing else around. But I can’t understand why there is the need to tie such a simple application to such heavy dependencies.

I saw that article and read it several times in the last couple of years. A nice one. Thanks, Thomas.

The problem is with how applications declare themselves as the SESSION_LEADER to the session manager – given that xsm is old and most newer applications use a differing approach, it’s no wonder xsm croaks at the bit.

Because it’s GNOME and requires everything under the sun (it’s doing more than being just a session manager, anyway). This is the price you pay if you want such a feature.

– Thomas Adam

I made gnome-session to work from gdm with both gnome and fvwm-crystal. I think at it must work the same with plain fvwm.

If someone is interested, just read this forum thread.